سُوْرَةُ النَّمْلِ
Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 16
وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَـٰنُ دَاوُۥدَ ۖ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنطِقَ ٱلطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْفَضْلُ ٱلْمُبِينُ ﴿16﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And Sulaimân (Solomon) inherited (the knowledge of) Dâwûd (David). He said: "O mankind! We have been taught the language of birds, and on us have been bestowed all things. This, verily, is an evident grace (from Allâh)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَوَرِثَ
wawaritha
And inherited
سُلَيْمَـٰنُ
sulaymānu
Sulaiman
دَاوُۥدَ ۖ
dāwūda
Dawood
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And he said
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O
ٱلنَّاسُ
l-nāsu
people
عُلِّمْنَا
ʿullim'nā
We have been taught
مَنطِقَ
manṭiqa
(the) language
ٱلطَّيْرِ
l-ṭayri
(of) the birds
وَأُوتِينَا
waūtīnā
and we have been given
مِن
min
from
كُلِّ
kulli
every
شَىْءٍ ۖ
shayin
thing
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
this
لَهُوَ
lahuwa
surely, it
ٱلْفَضْلُ
l-faḍlu
(is) the favor
ٱلْمُبِينُ
l-mubīnu
evident
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
16. And Solomon inherited [16] from David. He said, "O people! We have been taught the language of birds [17], and we have been given all things. Surely, this is a clear favor from Allah."
[16] Here, inheritance does not refer to the personal wealth and property of Dawud (peace be upon him), but rather to the inheritance of prophethood and sovereignty.
[17]
Sayyiduna Sulayman (peace be upon him) Understanding the Language of Animals and Expressing Gratitude to Allah:
Among the astonishing powers of Allah Almighty is this: all humans have the same form. Every person has one nose, two ears, two eyes, two arms, and two legs, but despite such uniformity, each person’s appearance is different from the other. If a person has six sons, others may say that there is a certain resemblance among them, but only the parents, close relatives, or friends can distinguish between them. This difference is not limited to appearance alone. Every human’s voice, the sound of their cough, even the sound of their footsteps and their manner of walking, all differ. Close ones can recognize a person just by their voice, cough, or gait. The same is found among animals and birds. Animals and birds also have a language. Humans cannot understand it, but they understand each other very well. For example, when a bird calls its mate, or calls its chicks to feed them, or warns them of danger, in all these situations its tone and language are not the same. Its addressees fully understand this difference and act accordingly. And when these birds chirp together, usually in the morning, they are glorifying Allah Almighty. Although we cannot distinguish their language in these different situations, they understand each other very well. To understand this, consider a telegraph master: when he sends a message via telegraph, you may sit beside him for hours, but apart from the meaningless sounds of tapping, you will understand nothing. But a person who knows this skill will immediately tell you that this message is for such-and-such person at such-and-such place, and this is its content.
Everything Glorifies:
This matter is not limited to humans, animals, and birds, but this chain of sensations extends to insects, plants, and even inanimate objects, and all these things glorify Allah, but we cannot understand it [17: 44]. This does not mean that you could speak the language of birds, but rather that you could understand what the birds and others were saying to each other. Then, whatever you wished to say, the birds would also understand it. And the second blessing is that Allah Almighty has provided us with all the things we need.
[16] Here, inheritance does not refer to the personal wealth and property of Dawud (peace be upon him), but rather to the inheritance of prophethood and sovereignty.
[17]
Sayyiduna Sulayman (peace be upon him) Understanding the Language of Animals and Expressing Gratitude to Allah:
Among the astonishing powers of Allah Almighty is this: all humans have the same form. Every person has one nose, two ears, two eyes, two arms, and two legs, but despite such uniformity, each person’s appearance is different from the other. If a person has six sons, others may say that there is a certain resemblance among them, but only the parents, close relatives, or friends can distinguish between them. This difference is not limited to appearance alone. Every human’s voice, the sound of their cough, even the sound of their footsteps and their manner of walking, all differ. Close ones can recognize a person just by their voice, cough, or gait. The same is found among animals and birds. Animals and birds also have a language. Humans cannot understand it, but they understand each other very well. For example, when a bird calls its mate, or calls its chicks to feed them, or warns them of danger, in all these situations its tone and language are not the same. Its addressees fully understand this difference and act accordingly. And when these birds chirp together, usually in the morning, they are glorifying Allah Almighty. Although we cannot distinguish their language in these different situations, they understand each other very well. To understand this, consider a telegraph master: when he sends a message via telegraph, you may sit beside him for hours, but apart from the meaningless sounds of tapping, you will understand nothing. But a person who knows this skill will immediately tell you that this message is for such-and-such person at such-and-such place, and this is its content.
Everything Glorifies:
This matter is not limited to humans, animals, and birds, but this chain of sensations extends to insects, plants, and even inanimate objects, and all these things glorify Allah, but we cannot understand it [17: 44]. This does not mean that you could speak the language of birds, but rather that you could understand what the birds and others were saying to each other. Then, whatever you wished to say, the birds would also understand it. And the second blessing is that Allah Almighty has provided us with all the things we need.
